The present invention relates to extensible belt conveyor devices and particularly to a belt take-up and storage unit for use in an extensible belt conveyor system.
In endless belt systems, for example those used in mining operations it is necessary to provide for a variable length conveyor belt, for example when a conveyor belt is used in association with a continuous miner, it is necessary to extend the belt as the continuous miner moves farther into the mine shaft. Belt storage units are well known in the conveyor belt art, such devices being insertable into a conveyor belt system.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,352,406 there is shown a device in which a fixed belt pulley section and a movable belt pulley section are provided, the movable belt pulley section being movable horizontally relative to the fixed belt section and as it moves away from the fixed belt section it takes up more belt from the conveyor. The fixed pulley or roller section provides a series of inclined rollers and the movable belt section provides a further plurality of belt receiving rollers. The fixed and movable rollers forming, when the movable section is closed to the fixed section a roller pattern similar to an inverted V configuration.
Another belt take-up device is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,621,983 which again has a fixed roller section and a movable roller section, the conveyor belt being stored on the rollers and as the movable section moves away from the fixed section more belt is taken up out of the conveyor and as the movable section moves towards the fixed section more belt is paid out into the conveyor. The rollers in the fixed and movable sections are of a configuration similar to a V on its side with the apex of the V on the fixed section facing the apex of the V on the movable section.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,474,287 shows a telescoping device for cable storage.
The problem with existing devices has been that they are extremely wasteful with space and an object of the present invention is to provide a belt storage device in which space is used economically and in which the majority of the belt stored in the storage device, is available for use in the conveyor.